Caperdonich 25 Years Old – Peated Cask #Batch CP/003

This official peated Caperdonich, a 25 year old, cask Batch CP/003, at 58.1%. Caperdonich, a ghost of Speyside, was demolished in 2011 to make way for a coppersmith's works. Its spirit went largely into blends such as Chivas Regal and Royal Salute.

The spirit was made from peated barley in the tall copper stills, giving a soft peat over the creamy fruit. Decades in ex-Bourbon oak drew out vanilla and a waxy depth. At this evaporative stage ellagitannins lend a drying structure while oxidation builds waxy tropical fruit. Years in oak round the spirit, the pear and cream deepening with age. It was extended to four stills in 1967, run by only a couple of workers. A few warehouses still stand, but the stillhouse and kiln are long gone. Active wood frames the fruit without smothering the soft, creamy spirit. The tall, Glen Grant style stills give a light spirit that ages with grace. Closed in 2002 and later demolished, its profile is fixed for good.

At its natural 58.1% it is concentrated. Pear, vanilla and a light smoke, with a gentle oak sweetness. A baked pear and a wisp of smoke lift it. A long finish ends on pear, cream and a soft smoke. This is Caperdonich's gently smoky, fruity Speyside style.